Joe Miller Ballpark

625 Cowboy Drive
Lake Charles, La. 70607

The 2023 season marked the 70th year of McNeese Cowboy baseball and the 58th with Joe Miller Ballpark as the home turf that has been the site for over 1,400 victories, multiple championship teams as well as many of the greatest players in program history.

Named for long time McNeese supporter and community leader, Mr. Joe Miller, The Jeaux has seen many improvements over the last few years that have included a new turf bullpen and game mound, new concessions and bathroom, and a kids playground.

The environment created on a Saturday afternoon in the marshes of Southwest Louisiana is second to none when it comes to a baseball game at Joe Miller Ballpark, especially during competitive conference series or the yearly battle with in-state rival Louisiana-Lafayette.

In its 58-year existence, The Jeaux has been the home to four Southland Conference regular season champions as well as four SLC Tournament champions. The Cowboys have captured 486 victories and 57 Southland Conference series wins since 1988.

McNeese hosted the Lake Area Classic, from 1992 until 2004 and then gave it a comeback in 2017, which brought the cream of the crop in college baseball to Southwest Louisiana. Notable teams that have competed at Cowboy Diamond include Ohio State, Georgia, Nebraska, Kansas State, Alabama, Kansas, Oklahoma, Tulane, Oklahoma State and Southern Mississippi. Others who have made the trip to Lake Charles include LSU and Houston.

One of the most memorable moments in complex history came on May 2, 2000 as 2,191 spectators packed Joe Miller Ballpark and witnessed McNeese defeat hall of fame coach Skip Bertman and the eventual national champion LSU Tiger squad, 4-3 in 11 innings. The attendance stands as the second largest crowd in program history.

Along with the success on the field, those who have donned the Cowboy jersey have also moved on to have success in professional baseball. Since 1968, The Jeaux has hosted 44 players who were drafted and played either minor league or professional baseball. Beginning the tradition was Richard Wicks who was drafted by Boston in the third round of the 1968 Draft while former Cowboy and current member of the Oakland Athletics Jace Peterson was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2011. Grant Anderson, a Cowboy drafted in 2018 by the Seattle Mariners, recently made his way up to the Majors with the Texas Rangers.

Among the most successful student-athletes to play at Joe Miller Ballpark is Ben Broussard, the program’s all-time home run king and the only Poke to have his number retired. Broussard was a treat to watch for each fan that came to the diamond each weekend and continued to awe fans in the big leagues that featured stints with the Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. Broussard completed his collegiate career with 43 homers and 173 RBI.

The recipe for success is just as attractive as the ingredients for the jambalaya that a fan will sometimes smell cooking within the confines of the baseball complex. More ingredients were added to that recipe last fall as The Jeaux received a major facelift with the installation of a high-grade artificial turf surface. The new surface is an initial plan of a multi-phase facility upgrade. The turf makes up the entire field and foul territories and includes the batters area and baselines. Until recently, the only dirt on the field was the pitcher’s mound.

The project is the first of three phases of an extensive facility upgrade plan that has been carefully put together which includes a new entrance court and ticket booth, elevated deck seating down the left and right field sides, VIP seating behind home plate, new fencing around the entire facility as well as tailgate spots located down the left field wall.

The renovations have added more excitement and talk around the region has gained significant ground at one of the most exciting times in McNeese baseball history with the program celebrating the gold anniversary of Joe Miller Ballpark.

Prior to the 1965 season, the Cowboys played their contests at Legion Field in downtown Lake Charles until an uncovered bleacher seat facility was constructed on the south side of campus and west of the McNeese football stadium.

There were no major renovations until the early 1980’s, and by 1987, lights were added as well as a 1,500 seat stadium that was completely covered. During the renovations, the baseball complex was also updated with a fieldhouse that included dressing rooms, coaches offices, meeting rooms and an indoor batting and pitching area. The field was also equipped with a modern scoreboard as well as a newly renovated and air conditioned pressbox that seated 15 people.

The next set of renovations took place in early 2005, with a major facility upgrade that featured a new Daktronics scoreboard along with a message board that was included on top of the scoreboard. The renovation would seem to last only a few eye blinks before a powerful storm affected the Southern region of the United States.

A complex full of rich history and lasting memories was ravaged over the span of five hours as the strength of Hurricane Rita tore through Southwest Louisiana and demolished most of The Jeaux, leaving the complex in ruins as the entire outfield wall was torn down and the field left completely underwater. The storm may have destroyed pieces of metal.

Prior to the 2007 season, a new wall was completed to replace the one destroyed by Hurricane Rita. The new wall provided a nostalgic feeling to the ballpark and allowed sponsors the top opportunity to display static signage. In 2008, aluminum bleachers replaced the old and decrepit seats that had provided seating to people for over 20 seasons.

In 2009, a 1,400 square foot pavilion was built down the left-field line. The area is rented out by organizations, businesses or individuals almost every weekend and has been the host of several crawfish boils attended by hundreds of McNeese students each spring.

In 2015, the infield and foul territories were turfed, the new Boardwalk was put down left field line, and the left field/ right field foul lines had a brick wall installed.

In 2016, the brick wall was completed with it being wrapped around behind home plate. The new scoreboard and video board were installed, new perimeter fencing was installed around the park, and the Cowboy Cooking Club facility was born.

In 2017, the premium field level chair-back seating was added to the stadium along with the dugouts being renovated by adding brick and a bathroom to the dugouts. Like the boardwalk down left field line, a boardwalk was added to the right field line.

In 2018, the team got a indoor batting cage, bullpen, and training area added to the Frank E. Landry Baseball Complex along with a video system.

In 2019, the outfield wall got padded, new batters eye's were installed on the field, and the Fank E. Landry Baseball Complex got a nutrition room.

Before the 2020 Baseball season, Joe Miller Ballpark got brand new, state of the art bathrooms and concession stands, a brand new kids playground behind the home dugout, and a turfed bullpen and game mound.

Following Hurricane Laura, the field was redone with reparations occurring on the signage and outfield walls due to the damage. Shortly before the 2023 season, the press box was reconstructed for members of the media and staff.

Directions To Joe Miller Ballpark
From Interstate 210, take the Ryan St. exit and go south; take a left onto McNeese Street; take a right onto Common Street; complex will be on your immediate left.